Sterilization of items is used in various industries, including health care, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries. A common and proven method used for sterilization applies pressurized high temperature steam in a pressure chamber or vessel for a prescribed period of time. Pressurized high temperature steam within a stainless steel pressure chamber is used for sterilization of laboratory equipment and in the industrial manufacturing sector.
In hospital and health care environments, laboratory environments, and in the pharmaceutical and food processing industry, sterilization may be accomplished by contacting the item to be sterilized with high temperature steam within a pressure vessel. Alternatively, the item to be sterilized can be contacted with a low temperature sterilizing medium (e.g., ethylene oxide or equivalent low temperature sterilizing medium) in a pressure vessel. Various types of sterilization pressure vessels and autoclave chambers can be used utilized to sterilize items. In many instances, the sterilizing medium is contacted with item being sterilized.
At the end of a sterilization cycle, items inside the sterilization chamber are sterile. Unfortunately, the air in the room where the sterilization chamber is installed will typically contain dust particles, which may carry micro-organisms. Accordingly, sterilized items taken out of a sterilization chamber may become contaminated. Additionally, sterilized items may be stored for a period of time before use. Moreover, in a hospital setting, sterilized items will typically be transported through the hospital to where they are used. Accordingly, sterilized items, when not protected, may be re-contaminated prior to use.